A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 10:30 am
Meditation
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. ~T.S. Eliot
Prelude
Welcome
From There to Here: We Gather
¨ Sung Response “Lead Me, Guide Me” Lead Me, Guide Me
Lead me, guide me, along the way, for if you lead me, I cannot stray. Lord, let me walk each day with thee. Lead me, O Lord, lead me.
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¨ The Call
One: Sojourning God, your Spirit exists everywhere, on every path, inviting us to move with curiosity and compassion toward each other.
All: May we see that our home paths are the unfamiliar paths for someone else. With renewed compassion, open our hearts for hospitality, so that in our welcoming, we will grow together in peace, expand our chances for love, and deepen understanding right where we are.
One: Nudge and guide us, we pray. Amen.
¨ Sung Response Lead Me, Guide Me
Lead me, guide me, along the way, for if you lead me, I cannot stray. Lord, let me walk each day with thee. Lead me, O Lord, lead me.
¨ Prayer of Confession please respond when invited:
All: Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole hearts and have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, through what we have done and left undone.
Forgive us when we return to the familiar in fear rather than promise. Forgive us when we turn inward rather than become the servants and neighbors you call us to be.
Guide us as we seek to turn around toward greater love. Lead us to travel in your ways. Amen.
¨ Sung Response Lead Me, Guide Me
Lead me, guide me, along the way, for if you lead me, I cannot stray. Lord, let me walk each day with thee. Lead me, O Lord, lead me.
¨ Words of Assurance
¨ Passing the Peace
Building the Community: News that Connects Us
Announcements
Lighting the Justice Candle
During the Arizona Mission Trip, Carla Gilbert, Donna Abner and Tennant Kirk spent two days with the Samaritan volunteers riding along the border providing water, snacks, blankets and first aid to those in need. Today we light this candle for The Tucson Samaritans, a group which has provided humanitarian aid in the Arizona desert for 20 years. The Tucson Samaritans are a civil initiative, the tenets of which state they are nonviolent, truthful, wide-ranging, cooperative, pertinent, volunteer-based, and community-centered. As a civil initiative “our responsibility for protecting the persecuted must be balanced by our accountability to the legal order.” A full discussion of the guiding philosophy can be found online at tucsonsamaritans.org
Carla, Donna and Tennant wholeheartedly agree with the Samaritans who say. “We celebrate each person we have met crossing the desert and how each of them has changed our lives.”
Word And Worship
Hymn Bless Now, O God, the Journey
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Amos 7:7-9
This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Children’s Moment Please join in singing as we bless children everywhere:
May God’s blessing guard, protect and guide you. God bless you, God bless you. Our savior’s loving arms be ever ’round you. God bless you, God bless you.
Please note that Union Church services are livestreamed, including the Children’s Moment. A “no camera zone” is at the back of the balcony, behind the AV booth.
Gospel Lesson Luke 10:25-37
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them.
Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’
Sermon Home Remodel: as Love Demands Rev. Kent Gilbert
Visual Reflection
Living Prayer
Call to Prayer and Offering
Ringing of the Peace Bell
The Union Church Peace Bell was created by Jeff Enge in honor of Union Church member Carl Eschbach (1904-1998). A twin bell hangs in Berea’s sister province in Japan and is also rung in the hope of peace for all nations.
Offering Music Lift Every Voice and Sing
A Chance for Generosity: www.easytithe.com/union Our gifts help sustain this particular community of caring by sustaining the building, pastors and staff, and all the materials that make our ministry of healing, justice, and teaching available to all in need. In addition, a portion of our contributions flows out to aid those in need via many externalagencies.
Many friends give online, and you can use your smart phone or computer and go to www.easytithe.com/union. You don’t have to register to make a contribution, but if you do, it can make future generosity that much easier.
You can even give by text! Text to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering”)
You can also use US mail! Mail to: 200 Prospect St., Berea, KY 40403
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Community Prayer
Sojourning God, God of the road, the home, the heart: your Spirit exists everywhere, on every path, inviting us to move with curiosity and compassion toward each other. May we see that our home paths are the unfamiliar paths for someone else. With renewed compassion, open our hearts for hospitality, so that in our welcoming, we will grow together in peace, expand our chances for love, and deepen understanding right where we are. Nudge and guide us, we pray. Tear down and build up, if you must, and remodel us be a home not made with hands, but living disciples of the Way. To you we come, to you we return. With you we live and move and have our being and are so grateful. We pray for ourselves and our world the way Jesus taught us to reach to you as…
Our Lord’s Prayer
Our Maker, Our Mother and Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
From Here to There
¨ Hymn #181 Black You Are Salt for the Earth, O People Bring Forth
¨ Benediction
¨ Sung Response Lead Me, Guide Me
Lead me, guide me, along the way, for if you lead me, I cannot stray. Lord, let me walk each day with thee. Lead me, O Lord, lead me.
Postlude
Reflection Questions:
· What elements of “Journey” can make a difference in your daily life? Do you need more of any of the elements: leaving, exploring, reflecting, returning? Which ones? Where do you most feel the presence of God?
· What is shifting for you in some attitude about the world? How has “leaving home,” changed or challenged you? Has God tugged at you in some way or is there something that is calling you because of this journey? What is it? What’s the first step?
Especially in Our Prayers
¨ Each week we join millions of Christians who pray for one another through the ecumenical prayer cycle and, locally, the Berea Ministerial Association’s prayer cycle. Let us hold the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia and our brothers & sisters at West Side Baptist Church in our hearts, and pray for them. Please hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week.
¨ Those affected by the Covid-19 virus, their families and friends living with fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, may God bring peace to all who love them; and our wider community as we cope with the new realities of living, including the now over 16,100 Kentucky residents, and 284 Madison County residents, who have died to date from Covid-19.
¨ Prayers for all the people of Ukraine for their safety and sovereignty, and especially those in the city of Nikolaev where the family of former Berea International student daughter of Kevin and Carla, Yulia live. Prayers also that the government of Russia will turn to reason & respect for their own peoples’ lives as well as for Ukrainian families.
¨ In sorrow for the lives lost in the Afghanistan Earthquake with prayers that God may ease the suffering, and God’s people respond to the need.
¨ All those seeking a new and just society and those fearful that they will be supplanted, may God open their hearts and include them in grace.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes or who are homebound: Alva Peloquin, Loyal Jones, Lois Morgan, Jan Hamilton, Laura Robie, Dorie Hubbard, Betty Wray, Sally Zimmerman
¨ Families and Friends in Crises…may God be present to every need and heal every rift and wound and those who care for them.
¨ JoAnn Russell, Reda Hutton’s aunt, facing several medical challenges.
¨ Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon.
¨ Sharona Nelson, facing a long recovery after surgery to repair a broken shoulder.
¨ Hazel Morris, being treated for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
¨ Raymond Binkley, Betty Wray’s brother, aged 94, and in ill health.
¨ In sorrow for the lives lost in the Afghanistan Earthquake, with prayers that God may ease the suffering, and God’s people respond to the need.
¨ Michelle, beloved nurse at Morning Pointe, undergoing treatment for cancer.
¨ Jess Burton & Jake Graber and their little girl, Lila., who has serious gastric issues.
¨ Dan & Donna Brewer, recovering from injuries sustained in a terrible car wreck last week.
¨ Important dates—if we haven’t got yours, let us know. We’ll help you get connected in FellowshipOne Go!
Birthdays: July 11 – Vera Garrett; 14 – Dottie Blackburn, Lois Morgan; 17 – Jeff Hutton
Announcements
Next Week: new members welcomed!
As a family of faith committed to boldly and creatively embodying the life and ministry of Jesus, we would like to join with YOU. We’d like to be a context and inspiration for your own spiritual path, and work with you to make your heart, your world, your life more peace-filled and joy-full.
Next Sunday there will be an opportunity to covenant together — whether you are a member of the community who worships online, in-person, or both! No prior action on your part is required, but if you have any questions at all, we’d like to help. Working together, we want to make God’s love visible and real to all.
Children are welcome in the service, or you can stay with them in the nursery
· There will be a nursery assistant available in the nursery space to provide support for families who are supervising their own children there,
· The nursery and playground will be open for families to use if you supervise your own children,
· There will be a device for listening/watching the service in the nursery,
· We anticipate adding full nursery services once under 5s can be vaccinated,
· The children’s Worship Center in the back of the sanctuary will have activities for our youngest members
· Please note that Union Church services are livestreamed, including the Children’s Moment. A “no camera zone” is at the back of the balcony, behind the AV booth.
Lemonade in the Shade
The Community Life and Growth Board is looking for volunteers to assist in our weekly Lemonade on the Porch after our morning worship running through the summer. If you can help on a particular Sunday this summer, please go to our News page at union-church.org/news and click on the form labeled Volunteers for Lemonade on the Porch. We need folks to help with set up and take down as well as people to donate snack items like cookies or other kinds of snacks.
Opportunities to Serve
The Nominating Board is looking for members of the Union Church community to serve on three Boards:
· Faith Development
· Mission & Service
· Pastoral Relations
Please call/email the church office or email/text Rachel Lakes (859.582.6646, rachel.robertslakes@gmail.com) for more information or to express interest.
Madison County is in the CDC’s YELLOW range. These are the protocols we’ll follow:
Þ Congregants recommended to stay up to date with vaccinations.
Þ Stay home when sick. Follow KY state quarantine and isolation guidance.
Þ Indoor mask use with N95, KN95, or surgical mask is required.
Þ Groups can meet if masked and distanced.
Þ Choir can sing if masked and distanced.
Þ Cleaning is necessary between groups.
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